Girl of My Dreams
by Black Moon White Sun
Summary: PUT ON HOLD!
1. The Closet in the Attic

_Author's Note:_ _I had started to write this story back in November of 2006, but I had deleted because I had thought of a completely new plot. For those who might remember it, it was called_ Jo._ I decided to re-post it now with a different title. If you haven't figured it out yet, this story is Edmund/OC, because I don't think our Just King gets enough romance in his young life. The inspiration for the new plot came from after I watched the extended edition. (I don't own that DVD, but I saw it on television.) There was this part where they show a girl with a green hat and curly hair who looked around eleven or twelve. So, why couldn't she find her way into Narnia?_

_Inspiration: The All-American Rejects's "Girl of My Dreams"_

_Quote from Chapter: "Who are you?"

* * *

_

**Chapter One: The Closet in the Attic**

She sighed.

Jo Greene, a twelve-year-old evacuee from Finchley, looked up from her book, her hand under her chin. Her semi-curly hair under a green hat framed her freckled face as she looked out the window. The train rolled passed stations as children sent to the country because of the bombing got off.

"Coombe Halt!" She watched as four children, two boys and two girls - siblings, by the look of them - got off. She had no time to wonder about it as the train sped off. The last thing she saw was the younger of the boys look at his label. Another sigh escaped her lips as she got up. She would be at her Great-Aunt Polly Plummer's in two stops. Might as well get ready, she thought.

Jo closed her book and placed it her bag. She brushed her hair out of her face and lowered her suitcase down, dropping it down onto her seat. She sat back down, wrapping her hand around the handle. She stood back up as the conductor yelled, "Chauncey Lane, Chauncey Lane!"

She got off the train, fingering the lable that was on her coat. She stood on the nearly empty platform. Jo looked from left to right, finally spotting an elderly woman with a motherly expression. The young girl waved and ran to her.

"Oh, Jo, you've grown!" Aunt Polly exclaimed. She grinned at her aunt. She liked this particular relative, for she wasn't stuffy like most of the elderly members of her family. She was like a child stuck in an adult's body. Aunt Polly gripped her hand as she led towards the car.

"Aunt, you have no idea how glad I was when I found out that I was coming here," Jo told her, as she buckled her seat belt. The woman grinned at her through the rearview mirror.

"You have no idea how glad I am to have you," she replied. There was a silence as Aunt Polly drove, going up a dirt driveway that led to a small house of three floors. Her heart warmed up at the sight. (Her heart warmed up at the sight of anything.) Her aunt turned off the ignition and opened the car door. Jo did likewise, wrapping her hand around the handle of her suitcase. She followed her up the stone steps and inside.

"Your room is upstairs, second on the left," she told Jo. The young girl nodded, observing her surroundings with interest. She had only been to her Aunt Polly's once when she had been only six, seeing as she had been born in America and had only moved to England a month before the air raids had began.

"I think I'll go upack," she said presently. Her aunt nodded and she watched her leave, thinking on how similar they looked. They had same blue-grayish eyes, same freckled face, same short stature, same dirty blonde hair. Well, Jo's was blonde; Aunt Polly's had grayed with time. She trooped up the stairs.

Unpacking took almost no time at all. She stomped down the stairs (a strange habit for a small girl like her) and entered the kitchen, unsurprised to smell fried eggs and toasted bread.

"I hope you don't mind a late breakfast," Aunt Polly said.

"Not at all," she answered. "I didn't have too much breakfast this morning." She reached up and took off her hat, placing it on one side of the table. A plate of sausages, eggs and toast were placed in front of her. Jo's mouth watered at the sight of it; Aunt Polly always _did_ make the best food.

"Thanks," she said, digging in eagerly. The elderly woman merely chuckled. She reached over for the glass of orange juice (that, incidentally, had been placed on her hat), but instead grabbed her hat absent-mindedly. The glass went crashing down to the floor. The young blonde gaped at the mess she had made.

"I'll clean it up," she said, standing up.

"There's a broom upstairs. Up in the attic closet," Aunt Polly said. Jo nodded, dashing up the stairs two at a time. She opened the attic door, walking up the narrow stairs. The attic was a small space. There was a trunk, a broken cricket set and a few other things. At the far right, she could see a door directly in front of a window. The girl began to feel claustrophobic, so she opened the window as high as it could. Then she turned, pleased as a strong breeze blew in. Her handle enclosed around the closet handle, and she pulled the door, surprised to see that the closet was a bit large. She stepped inside, searching for a broom. Unexpectedly, the door slammed shut because of a stronge wind. She dropped the broom she held and went to re-open the door.

_Thank God it didn't lock itself_, she thought, stepping outside. Her blue eyes grew wide.

Jo no longer stood in an attic. She wasn't even standing in something that resembled an attic. She was in an impossibly wide corridor. The notes of a song - one that was haunting and joyous at the same time - drifted from outside, through an open window. She could see a blue ocean stretching on the other side of the wall. She stepped closer, curious. She peered out an arched, open window, listening and watching the waves crash into the shore.

"Who are you?" a voice asked. The blonde nearly jumped out of her skin. She turned and saw a young girl, perhaps two years younger than her. She had golden blonde hair and bright, wide blue eyes. The girl's clothes confused Jo to no end. She wore a medieval-styled dress of deep red silk. On her head was a crown of silver juniper flowers. She was a big contrast next to Jo, who was clad in a plaid skirt, a blouse, a sweater, knee-high stockings and school shoes.

"I'm Jo. Jo Greene," she answered.

"I'm Lucy," Lucy said, curtseying. A bewildered expression crossed the older girl's face. Clumsily, she did the same.

"Where did you come from?" Lucy asked.

"I-I don't really know. I was looking for a broom in my Aunt Polly's closet. A wind blew the door close and I went to open it. Next thing I know, I'm here." They stood in a silence until Jo finally asked: "Where am I?"

Lucy gave her a surprised look, as if her question was out of the ordinary. She finally composed herself by saying: "Why, you're in Narnia, of course!"

* * *

_So what do you think? Should I continue? Oh, and to anyone who is a reader of my other story,_ More Than It Seems, _I should have the next chapter posted by Tuesday or Wednesday. Anyway, if you guys_ do _want me to continue, the next chapters will be longer than this since I'm going to be switching from Edmund to Jo._


	2. A Most Curious Person

_Author's Note:_ _Here's chapter two! There's something you should know - Edmund's the same age as Jo, but since a year has already passed in Narnia went she enters, Ed's thirteen to her twelve. Peter's sixteen, Susan's fifteen and Lucy's ten. Anyway, happy reading!_

_Inspiration: Everlife's "Stranger Like Me", Rascal Flatts's "Life is a Highway_

_Quote from Chapter: "She's...different."

* * *

_

**Chapter Two: A Most Curious Person**

"Well Jo, we must get you new clothes," Lucy said. She gestured for her to follow her. They went down the corridor and up another one. She opened a door to their left and pulled her inside. Lucy ran to another door and Jo heard her searching for something. A moment later, she came out holding a forest green dress.

"Try this on," she said. She nodded and quickly changed, folding her other clothes into a neat pile.

"Done," she announced.

"Come, I want you to meet my siblings." Lucy fled the room with a speed that astounded surprise. She ran after her, stumbling over the hem of her dress as she did so. They went up and down flights of stairs. They finally came to a halt in front of a large, wooden door.

"Wait here," she said, panting and opening the door. Jo nodded, watching as Lucy slipped inside the room.

* * *

"Ed, are you listening to me?" Susan demanded. Edmund Pevensie, thirteen, looked up from his book and gave his sister an idle expression. The siblings - minus Lucy - were talking about the Calormene embassy, who were to arrive in four days. Peter and Susan were playing chess while he was lying on the sofa, his long limbs stretched out before him and a book in his hands. He shared a look with his sixteen-year-old brother before answering the question. 

"No."

Susan opened her mouth, looking a bit annoyed, when Peter cut across her.

"Calm down, Su. You know he'll behave. I say, you're making a big deal out of this!" he said.

"You know anything that we do wrong, the Calormenes will take it personally," she answered.

"Which is exactly why I hate those blasted people," Edmund added. He flipped a page in his book when Lucy came into the room.

"What is it, Lu?" Susan asked, noticing that her sister was panting.

"I want you to meet someone," she said. She went back into the corridor, spoke with someone and then dragged the person in.

The person was a girl. She had dirty blonde hair that just passed her shoulders and round blue eyes that illuminated a freckled face. She was rather short; indeed, she was only an inch taller than Lucy. He looked dismissively at the forest green-clad figure, thinking that she would be just like any other girl besides Susan and Lucy: picky and snobbish.

Out of the corner of his eyes, he watched her dip clumsily into a curtsey.

"Who are you?" Peter said kindly.

"I'm Jo Greene," she said.

* * *

Jo fidgeted nervously in the hallway. She bit her lip as Lucy appeared. 

"Come in, Jo," she said, dragging her into the room. She gestured her to where a boy and girl - the boy looked a year the girl's senior - were playing chess. The girl was beautiful with silky, black hair and the lightest blue eyes. She held herself with the grace and air of a queen. The boy had blond, almost golden hair and deep sapphire eyes. He looked like the type to take things seriously. They greeted her with smiles, but the boy looked over his shoulder, frowning slightly at someone.

That's when she noticed the other boy.

The other boy had black hair that fell casually in his pale, freckled face. She suspected that he would be a good three inches taller than her if he stood up. His eyes were what made her heart stand still; they were the darkest hazel that seemed to be able to look into the deepest part of her soul. She inhaled softly, but sharply. The boy looked at her dismissively, as if finding something unsatisfactory about her. Her heart sank slightly, but she hid her sadness by curtseying.

"Who are you?" the blond boy asked.

"I'm Jo Greene."

"It's a pleasure," the girl said. "I'm Susan and these are my brothers, Edmund and Peter." Jo nodded politely to both of them.

"Miss Jo?" Peter said.

"Yes?"

"Can you tell us how you arrived in Narnia?" This seemed to catch Edmund's attention, for his eyes snapped onto her. Faltering slightly under his piercing eyes, she looked down at the floor.

"I know this is going to sound completely idiotic," she began, "but I was looking for a broom in my Aunt Polly's closet when the door slammed shut. I went back to open it and I was here." Peter and Susan shared a look before Susan said: "Miss Jo, I'm sure you must be hungry."

"I'm a bit famished actually," she admitted.

"Let's get you something to eat," Lucy said.

* * *

Over the next two days, Jo grew to like the Pevensies, even the somber Edmund. Peter was the brother she never had; Susan gave her advice - and archery lessons - as only an older sister could; and Lucy could always put her into a good mood. Edmund was the one she couldn't reach. 

He never spoke to her; well, he did, just not too often. Mostly, he would just watch her with interest, making her feel like the freak attraction at the circus. If she ever spoke to him or tried to be friendly, he would acknowledge her with a nod and run his eyes over her.

One day, he finally _did_ speak to her.

She was playing chess with Peter, who she had already beated twice in a row. She captured his queen and proclaimed, looking delight: "Check mate!" A groan escaped the boy's lips as he set up the pieces once more.

"I want a rematch," he stated.

"You're on," she grinned.

"By Aslan, you sure can play, Jo!" Susan said.

"Why do you all keep swearing _By Aslan_ and _By the Lion_? Who _is _Aslan anyway?" she asked innocently, scratching her head in puzzlement.

"Aslan is the Great Lion, the King of Kings," a voice said. She was surprised to see that it was Edmund. He was looking directly at her as he spoke.

"He's like an ordinary lion, except he's bigger and can talk. He's not a tame lion, but he's good. Aslan can be stern and sympathetic, if you get me," he said, pausing a bit. She nodded and he went on.

"He knows everything and he makes sure everything balances with each other." This looked like all he was going to tell her, so she thanked him with a smile. He nodded jerkily and glued his eyes to the pages of a book.

* * *

Edmund thought Jo was queer, yet curious at the same time. 

He had been completely wrong about her being like other girls. In fact, she was the exact opposite. She had a childlike innocence that rivaled Lucy's. She was vibrant and friendly. It was her friendliness that astounded him. She was always polite to him, despite the fact that he rarely spoke to her. Did she even know about his past? That he had been a traitor to the country that he now helped ruled?

"But shouldn't we tell her that we're Kings and Queens?" Lucy said. They were in Peter's room, discussing whether or not they should tell Jo about their being monarchs.

"I think we should," Susan said. "Jo's a smart girl; she'll catch on."

"I just don't want to wreck our friendship with her," Peter stated. "She's a brick and a decent chess player. What do you think, Ed?"

"She's...different," he said, and that was all they could get out of him.

He escaped his brother's room, relieved to feel the fresh air touch his collar. His bare feet grew numb against the cold, marble floor. He wandered aimlessly in the halls when he spotted her. She was running her hand against a wall.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his tone a bit more forceful than he wanted. She jumped and whirled around. She seemed to falter a bit under his gaze, but hid it by turning around.

"Just admiring the design," she answered. This was one of the things that intrigued him. Here was a girl who was innocent enough to be interested in a _wall design_. Her personality seemed to mock his. She was carefree and vibrant, cheerful and friendly, a person who probably had never had something bad happen to her. He, on the other hand, had had his innocence ripped away from him when he had met the Witch. _Jadis_, he thought bitterly.

"Edmund?" Jo asked.

"Yes?" he said.

"Why are you always so quiet towards me? You're always friendly to everyone else..." He was surprised by her question. He couldn't think of a good answer, so he replied by saying: "And why are you always so friendly towards me? If you knew about my past, you would be anything but friendly..."

"What's in the past is in the past. You shouldn't dwell on it for too long. And besides, true friends don't care about what you've done; they care about what'll you do." Edmund stood there, dumbfounded, as he watched her walk away, thinking about what she had just said.

* * *

Jo noticed that Edmund had suddenly become nicer to her. He talked to her whenever she was alone. She enjoyed his company quite a bit. They had many romps together during the short time they knew each other. Their most famous one was the Cloak Game. She invented it when they were bored. 

"What shall we play?" Edmund asked.

"I have an idea," she replied. She took his cloak from his hands and shouted: "You have to get your cloak from me!"

The boy looked shocked as she ran. After a moment, he followed her. They passed a shocked Susan and an amused Peter in a hallway.

"Enjoying yourselves?" Peter shouted after them. She heard Edmund blow a rasberry at his brother and she laughed happily. Their chase came onto the grounds. Out of nowhere, he tackled her to the ground.

"Edmund!" she shouted, looking at the boy next to her. He grinned at her as he draped his cloak over his arm.

"You want to try that again?" he asked. To her sheer amazement, he was dangling her cloak in front of her.

"Why you little - " And they spent the rest of the day chasing each other.

Then the Calormene embassy arrived.

And that's where Jo's adventures really began.

* * *

_Author's Note: -chuckles- I left you on a sort of cliffy there, didn't I? But things are going to become a lot more interesting._


	3. The Detrimental Effect of Looking Alike

_Author's Note:__ I'm sorry this took so long. Thanks for the reviews!_

_Inspiration:__ Simple Plan's "Untitled", Aly and A.J.'s "Chemicals React", Aly and A.J.'s "Something More"_

_Quote from Chapter:__ "I'm not her!"

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_

**Chapter Three: The Detrimental Effect of Looking-Alike**

"I say, the Calormenes are odd-looking," Jo observed. Edmund looked at her from across the table, a grin on his face.

"See, Su? I'm not the only one who thinks they're odd-looking," he said. Peter and Lucy laughed while Susan shook her head, smiling slightly.

"They're leaving tomorrow," Peter said.

"Good. I miss seeing you all. Where do you go anyway?" she asked. The siblings looked at each other nervously before Edmund gave a shaky chuckle.

"Just showing our guests around. Our parents told us to," he lied. The girl, however, still didn't look convinced.

"Your parents?" she said, an eyebrow raised.

"They're on vacation," Lucy said. Edmund knew how much this cost his sister, who was very truthful, to say. Jo shurgged and he was relieved that she didn't ask anymore questions. Instead, she took to eating an apple. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. He found himself doing that more and more often these days. Edmund knew that he was considered standoffish by his courtiers. But this girl just put him in a different light. He smiled and laughed a lot now and always seemed to be in a good mood when she was around.

A poorly muffled snicker reached his ears. He turned his head sharply to look at his brother. He was grinning like a lunatic while Susan nudged him, smiling herself. Lucy was looking at him, a knowing look on her face. He stared at them, confused, and Peter jerked his head to the right, their agreed signal for "Let's talk". He nodded and stood up. The brothers walked out of the room and onto a nearby balcony.

"What do you want?" Edmund asked.

"I want to talk about you and Jo," Peter said. "You like her, don't you?" The question caught him off guard and he was silent for a moment.

"As a friend, sure. But as a sweetheart..." His voice trailed off, now looking at Jo in a much more different light. She was around his, not of his blood, a great friend and generally attractive (though he didn't like to think of his friend's physical appearance).

"I'm really not sure," he finally said. "Besides, she's like my little sister to me now. Have you noticed how much she looks like Lucy?" Peter nodded. The younger king knew his brother was waiting for him to continue.

"She just gives me this odd feeling when I'm around her, all right? It feels rather nice." Then he realized what he said. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing. You're thirteen, Ed," Peter said. "It's normal that you feel like this."

"But I don't want to feel like this," he argued. He buried his face in his hands and sighed.

"How do I make it go away?"

"You can't. You have to wait for it to go away," was the short reply. Edmund nodded and followed his brother back into the room.

"Please don't ask me again," Jo said. The girl girl was looking directly at Susan as she spoke. Susan nodded and then looked over at the door and smiled. Jo followed her gaze and stood up abruptly.

"I...I have to go," she said, giving Edmund a sidelong glance. She left the room, her arms crossed tightly and her head down.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"Nothing," Lucy said innocently.

* * *

Jo watched as the brothers left the room.

"May I ask you something, Jo?" Susan asked. She nodded.

"Do you like my brother?" The blonde was fully aware that the sisters were staring intently at her.

"Which one?" she said.

"Edmund," Lucy stated.

"I guess," Jo shrugged. "He's my friend. I'm supposed to like him."

"Not like that," Susan said. "As more than a friend." Jo shook her head slowly.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Really sure?"

"I'm sure."

"Absolutely?"

"Please don't ask me again," she said. Susan nodded, looking put out. She looked over at the door and smiled. The girl turned her head slightly and met Edmund's eyes. Jo suddenly felt uncomfortable and she stood up.

"I...I have to go," she said, glancing at her friend. She didn't meet anyone's eyes as she crossed her arms and left the room. Outside of the room, Jo let her arms drop to her sides. She leaned on the wall and closed her eyes. Her mind was in quite a mess. She replayed all the moments that she had had with Edmund. Horrified, she felt herself grow warm. Jo opened a nearby window, letting the rays of the setting sun play on her hair and the sea breeze refresh her cheeks. Below her, the merpeople (Susan had told her what they were) sang their beautiful, but haunting song.

* * *

Meanwhile, Edmund's siblings were questioning him.

"Well, what would be your dream girl, Ed?" Peter teased, after his brother denied for the fifth time about liking Jo.

"She would have to be a great friend, loyal, brave, friendly, have a great smile and not be...picky," he said. There was silence before Susan said -

"You just described Jo," she said.

"Oh, come on," he laughed. "Jo and I are just friends."

"Friends who always look at each other when they think that no one's looking," Lucy said.

"What are you waiting for?" Peter asked as his brother walked towards the door. "For the light to shine on her and a chorus of angels to sing around her?"

"Yeah, that's exactly what I'm waiting for," Edmund chuckled. He left the room, but stopped dead at the sight of his friend framed by the window. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't imagining things.

Jo was looking towards the sea, a slight breeze fluttering her hair. Her face was slightly flushed and her hand was under her chin. The light made her dirty-blonde hair look like pure gold. Her blue eyes were perfectly clear, a smile on her freckled face. She tilted her head to the right, still observing the direction of the light. A haunting, but lovely, chorus floated through the windows, making Edmund's heart beat faster. He gulped and arranged the folds in his tunic. Then, he cleared his throat. The girl jumped and looked around. She caught sight of him, and smiled, making him flush slightly.

"Hi," she said calmly, turning back to the window.

"Hullo," he replied, looking at his feet. He glanced back at her and saw that the ray of light had disappeared and the singing had stopped. He wondered if he had imagined it all, until she said -

"I love the sunsets here. And the merpeople's song." He nodded, his throat suddenly dry. _So I didn't imagine it_, he thought. He cautiously glanced at her. Was it just him, or did she look more innocent than before?

"Are the sunsets the only thing you like about Narnia?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he realized how much he had implied in his question. He flushed under his freckles. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her do the same.

"Oh. Um...I like some other things, too," she said vaguely. She clapped him lightly on the shoulder and said, "Night, Ed."

"Goodnight."

* * *

That night, Jo woke up to find something cold and metalic pressed against her throat.

"Scream, and you die, Queen," a harsh voice said. Surprised, she could only nod her head. Immediately, two pairs of rough hands seized her. A piece of cloth was shoved into her mouth and her hands were tied behind her back.

"Put this over her head," another voice said. A sack cloth was put over her head. As soon as this happened, she started (or tried to) scream, but a fist to her stomach knocked the wind out of her.

She could only see darkness, a pair of arms never leaving her waist. She was thrown over someone's back and she started to kick her legs wildly. Another person yanked one in annoyance. It was terribly frightening to be held by someone you couldn't see. Jo could only use her sense of hearing and touch to figure out where she was being taken. Cool air touched her calves and she knew she was outside.

"Quickly, on board," a voice said from far away. Her ears were filled with the sound of feet stomping on wood and the sack was suddenly yanked off her head. She was panting, but that never stopped her from screaming. A hand slapped her face, and she felt tears sting her eyes.

"Quiet, Queen Lucy," the first voice said. She saw that it was a tall man with dark skin and a crop of black hair. He was menacing with dark eyes. The man looked at her and proclaimed, "I say, you look different at night." She didn't understand what he meant. But as she began to think about it, something was knocked against her head and everything went black.

* * *

"Edmund, wake up, wake up!" His younger sister's desperate voice made his eyes spring open. He saw that she looked worried.

"What's the matter, Lu?" he yawned, stretching.

"Jo's gone!" He stopped stretching for a minute to look at her.

"What do you mean?" he demanded. But he didn't wait for her to answer, however, as he got out of bed and ran to Jo's room.

Once there, he saw that her room looked like it had been ransacked. He stared at the room, a feeling of déjà vu building up inside of him. He had only seen once a room look as bad as his friend's, and that was when he had betrayed Mister Tumnus.

"What happened here?" he whispered. He stood by Jo's bed, staring at the spot where she had been sleeping. It seemed almost impossible to say that she had been here less than twelve hours ago.

"Edmund," a voice said from the door. He turned and saw Susan, her face a sickly white.

"The Calormenes have left," she continued.

"I don't care about the bloody Calormenes!" he shouted. "I want to know where Jo is!" But the Queen shook her head.

"You don't understand, do you?" she asked. "The Calormenes left last night. They took Jo!" There was silence as Susan watched her brother's face turn red with rage.

"I'LL KILL THEM!" he yelled. He paced around the room, teeth gritted in anger. "THOSE SLIMY GITS - "

"Edmund, Susan!" Peter's voice came from the hallway. They quickly exited the room, meeting Peter at the corner.

"There was a Dryad who saw the whole thing," he said.

* * *

"I'm not her!" Jo yelled.

_Snap!_

This is what had been happening to Jo ever since she had regained consciousness.

The head of the Calormene ship, a man named Rasheeb (the kidnapper) took to whipping her as soon as he saw that she wasn't Queen Lucy. She was on the ground, her nightgown ripped slightly at the back. Long, open cuts were on her back, marking the spot where the whip had kept slapping at her skin. She glared at the Calormen and promptly received a blow to the face for her look. It took all of her strength to keep from crying out.

"It is no good to whip her," another voice said. Another man, Azkaan (the one who had placed the sack over her head), came up to them.

"We can offer her for ransom, like we were going to do with Queen Lucy," he continued, looking down at her. "The chit spent her time with the royal brats. I'm sure they'll want the return of their dear, little friend." Azkaan grabbed her arm roughly and made her stand. Rasheeb dragged her below deck, where there were at least two dozen Calormenes were rowing. But a boy of around fifteen stood out among them. He had fair skin, auburn hair and gray eyes. Rasheeb made her sit at the boy's side.

"Row, you chit," the Calormen snarled. She took the oar with the boy and rowed, her bruises making her wince now and then.

"You all right?" he asked quietly. She nodded and said, "I'm Jo."

"Peridan," the boy said. "From Archenland."

"How did you get here, Peridan?" she whispered.

"The Calormenes kidnapped me," he said. "And you?"

"Same thing. They keep calling me Queen Lucy. Lucy's not even Queen!" Peridan looked at her as if she was daft.

"You're wrong. She is one."

"What do you mean?" The boy looked discreetly around before leaning into her.

"Queen Lucy, King Edmund, Queen Susan and King Peter all rule at Cair Paravel. They're the ones who defeated the White Witch - the usurper if you will - and were crowned by Aslan. They've been ruling for a year now." Jo listened with her mouth open. _They never told me. They _lied_ to me_, she thought. Her expression darkened.

"Prigs," she muttered.

* * *

"Can you tell us what happened?" Susan asked the nymph gently. She nodded.

"I was walking down the corridor next to the one the Lady Jo's room was in," the Dryad said. "I saw two shadows on the wall. They were big and muscular and they looked like they were carrying something. At first, I thought I was imagining it, but then I heard a muffled scream. The carried figure was small. Perhaps around Queen Lucy's size. I saw that their Majesties' friend was putting up a good fight." Edmund couldn't help but smile at this part. "One of the figures grabbed her legs and made her stop kicking. The other figure had slung her over his shoulder like she was a sack." Here, Edmund became angry again. "The girl was taken out of sight. I couldn't follow them, for they entered a part of the castle that had dozens of corridors."

"We understand," Peter said kindly. The sisters nodded in agreement. But the youngest King merely jerked his head forward and walked out of the room. Out in the corridor, he wasn't sure whether he should cry or not. Edmund hadn't cried in a very long time. Since Aslan had died in fact. But he found it perfectly acceptable seeing as his friend had been kidnapped. The tears streamed down his cheeks. He ran on to a balcony, making it sure that none of his subjects could see their youngest King cry. He didn't sob. Instead, he bit back any noise of grief and simply let the tears flow.

"Do not weep, Son of Adam," a deep voice came. Edmund spun around and saw the Great Lion standing there. He couldn't hold back anymore and he started to sob.

"Oh, Aslan," he wailed. "Why did she have to leave?" Aslan permitted the boy to throw his arms around his neck.

"Jo will lead the changes that will come. It had to happen," he said. He nodded, wiping his eyes.

"When will I see her again?" he asked. The Lion regarded him carefully before saying, "If everything goes rightly, in a few months' time."

"Months?" he asked, dismayed.

"Do not despair, Edmund. Time will pass quickly." And he was gone.

"We must escape," Peridan whispered to her.

"But how?" she questioned.

"We dock in Archenland in a few days. We shall escape there."


End file.
